Early Bucket Seats

[MrEarl]

If someone was building a period correct or "old school" 54 Buick street rod with say an Ansen 3 speed shifter in the floor and wanted to use bucket seats that would have been available back in say 55-58, what would be some options for bucket seats. (preferably old Buick)

[Caballero2]

I would consider '58 Bonneville, then early Corvettes, then '58 T-Bird.

Dan

[JohnD1956]

If someone was building a period correct or "old school" 54 Buick street rod with say an Ansen 3 speed shifter in the floor and wanted to use bucket seats that would have been available back in say 55-58, what would be some options for bucket seats. (preferably old Buick)

Just for arguments sake, would someone have had the financial ability in 55-58 to cut up a 54 Buick? By then the car would have only been 4 years old and still retained a good portion of it's value. I might suggest that someone would not cut up a 54 buick for a hot rod till at least 61-64, thus moving your search to Corvair or even Skylark bucket seats.

[MrEarl]

No, for argument sake let's say it was 1958, this guy had plenty of money and he didn't want to wait til the 60's. He wanted to bore out a '56 322 to 422 cubic inches, throw some Grant piston rings on some balanced Jahns pistons, a T-3 Iskendarian cam and springs, port and polish the stock heads and balance the crank. Hell he didn't care if he had to sit on 5 gallon bucket, there was this 57 Chevy he wanted to blow the doors off of.

Besides, who said anything about "cuttin" anything up. It was a street rod. 56-58 Rod & Custon, Hot Rod, Honk, and other rod magazines of those years were full of 3-5 year old cars being customized and rodded.

Those 58 Bonneville buckets sound pretty comfy, I guess they could have been ordered new from the dealer eh?

Edited October 10, 2009 by MrEarl (see edit history)

[Ben Bruce aka First Born]

Lamar, are we dreaming or did this car really exist? That would have been quite a bore job to gain 100 ci. Should have been a screamer.

Ben

[JohnD1956]

Ok then, now that the parameters are set, just by pass my earlier suggestion.

[serb]

"someone", would that certain "someone" be living in Georgia with a collection of Buicks in the ole Buick Farm?

[MrEarl]

I've been reading too many of the old 50's Hot Rod and Rod & Custom magazines lately. That engine build I described was done in 1957 by Bill Schnell in Portland Oregon and dropped into a 52 Buick Super. I still have dreams of building a 54 street rod but those dreams are never clear enough to tell what kind of bucket seats were in them. Perhaps you're right JD, maybe I should extend the years on out to at least 60-62 and I could use the '60 Invicta semi-buckets or even the 62 Wildcats buckets. But then I'd have people asking why not just use a 401 Wildcat engine...and I'm a 322 man.

Back in '66, my 57 Chevy had 63 Chevy Impalla SS seats. That's when I was a bored and balanced 283 man. And people were asking why don't you just use a 327 or 409. I guess I just like to stretch the limits.

[old-tank]

Lamar

As long as you are dreaming: Supercharger

Even a 264 would benefit. A more modern solution would be fuel injection and one or two turbos. And as long as I'm stressing your engine and spending your money there is alway nitrous.

Willie

[Thriller]

Standard Catalog of Buick lists bucket seats as being available for a '59 (Electra 225 convertible only). It makes no mention of buckets for '57 / '58 (not that it provides a complete list).

Of course, there's always the plain Jane buckets in the '62 Special. I don't seem to have a good photo, but could provide one in about 10 minutes if you'd like.

[GMPARTSMAN]

Early 60's Corvair buckets were cheap and plentiful in the mid to late 60's.

In fact, I just missed a pair a couple of weeks ago in a non running '64 'Vair.

They would have looked good in my 55 when it's all finished.

[The Old Guy]

Lamar

If you are indeed planning on acheiving 422 CI from a 322 , you are going to need a VERY DEEP POCKET

[poci1957]

The early GM bucket seats were used in various Pontiacs (which I am more familiar with) and Buick/Olds/Cadillacs roughly from 1958-61, then replaced by a more commonly seen type for 1962-65. These were as seen in Impala SS with the chrome over the backrest. The 1958-61 type had metal backs and are far less common and seem to be big $$$, the later 1962-65 should be much less money and easier availability if that is a concern.

[Bob Engle]

The 60 Iinvicta buckets were common to olds, pontiac and chevy as options. Earlier years may have been this way also.

Bob

[NTX5467]

All it would take would be a WRECKED '58 Impala, Bonneville, or similar, which would have been "out there" in the time frame MrEarl is talking about. Probably the same frame and guts, too, regardless of carline. They'll have custom hides on them, anyway.

If we go a few years later, then there could be some Oldsmobile buckets, too, as well as Pontiac Grand Prix.

'58-'60 T-bird buckets were used frequently. What about the steering column from a '61+ T-bird, too (Swing-A-Way)? Might not fit with the Ansen trans and shifter, though. What about a B&M Hydro?

If the timeframe is extended to the middle-1960s, then (stretching it a little) a '67 GM Strato-Bench seat (bench seat with bucket seat lean backs) or the Strato Bucket Seats themselves. Being a street rod, the Strato-Bench might be more appropriate, say, from a '67 Caprice (less the brocade cloth coverings), maybe even with "power seat".

Enjoy!

NTX5467

Edited December 31, 2009 by NTX5467 (see edit history)

[61-63]

'58 Bonneville and then '59-'61 Pontiac, Oldsmobile, Buick, and Cadillac full size buckets are the same with a couple of cosmetic differences (the bottom of the '58 is slightly different and the Cadillac and Olds I think it is have satinless rings around the cove in the back where the Buick and Pontiac do not). There is an ad showing a '61 Impala with the same hard back buckets in if but I do not think any Chevys ever actually had them installed.

Mr. Earl if you want the correct period buckets in the car these would be the ones IMHO. There is a set of the hard backs and bottoms on the Pontiac Oakland Club bulletin board right now and the guy wants $2500 for them. No springs so you would have to have '62 and up big GM car springs, which are being reproduced, modified to fit and this has been done before.

Nice sets of thess buckets springs and all have been bringing $5500 or so lately. Every time I say that people start barking at me but it is so. I do not have any for sale so do not quote these prices to gain anything personally.

[61-63]

That should be stainless rings, not satinless.

[MrEarl]

OK, You've got my attention....Do you know who's engine this is. I understand Paxton made such a unit for Corvettes 54-56. Is that what this is?

Lamar

As long as you are dreaming: Supercharger

Even a 264 would benefit. A more modern solution would be fuel injection and one or two turbos. And as long as I'm stressing your engine and spending your money there is alway nitrous.

Willie

[buick5563]

First of all, DON'T put anything but vinyl or leather seats on those buckets. I hate seeing velour. :confused:

I bought some 58 T-Bird seats for my Model A project, but that is gonna be all Ford based...So I say stick with GM. The cool thing about picking a slightly later era as far as the "hot rod build date" is that there are more options for all sorts of comfort and bling accessories. Want to stick with a 322? Cool, but a rodder in 1964 would have at least put on finned valve covers. Then with the Riv or Wildcat buckets you could pretend it was a 401. I don't know if the high cost of buying the extremely rare late 50's GM buckets would be worth it unless you were thinking about spending over $100k.

Another pic of Nailhead p*rn.

[old-tank]

OK, You've got my attention....Do you know who's engine this is. I understand Paxton made such a unit for Corvettes 54-56. Is that what this is?

The car is a 53 Skylark that was at the Washinton national meet. There are ways to find out who owns the car if you are dedicated.

Willie